Not even Johnson immune to Talladega's harsh reality

Talladega Superspeedway is known for close-quarters, high-speed racing on the high banks, which is a combination that can sometimes result in wild, multi-car crashes. And it's that threat on every lap of the 2.66-mile oval that looms in the mind of every driver in the Chase for the Sprint Cup this weekend.

This is the track that has tripped up the championship chances of Chase drivers in the past, particularly for Jimmie Johnson, the current points leader.


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In 2004, Johnson collided with Kasey Kahne on pit road (watch video) and damaged the air duct to his radiator, which caused the engine to overheat and finally expire late in the race, leaving him 37th. The next fall, Johnson was at the center of a chain-reaction crash involving Elliott Sadler, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin, with Michael Waltrip getting the worst of it (watch video).

Johnson was also involved in a huge 25-car wreck that spring (watch video), which resulted in Junior calling him "an idiot." So Sadler wasn't very complimentary after Johnson ran into the back of his car, triggering the pileup.

"I'm really upset at Jimmie," Sadler said. "I guess he's trying to keep his streak alive. He caused a big wreck here last year and he caused a big one again this year. Maybe that's his way of racing here at Talladega ... try to get rid of everybody so he can win the race."

Earnhardt, who was giving Johnson a bump draft, said the accident had more to do with circumstances.

"It was just hard racing," Junior said. "We're all together so it's hard to miss something when you're going so fast. You can turn left, but the car is still going to go straight. It's just frustrating, because there's nothing you can do."

But if you need an example of how fortunes can change in an instant at Talladega, one only needs to look back at the 2006 UAW-Ford 500, when soon-to-be ex-teammates -- and future teammates -- wound up having a major effect not only on the finishing order of the race, but on the championship.

With an opportunity to make major gains in the standings when Jeff Burton pitted late for a flat tire, Earnhardt and Johnson expected to make it a two-car fight to the finish on the final lap. But Brian Vickers -- who had already announced plans to leave Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season -- had other plans.

As the three headed out of Turn 2, Johnson made his move to the inside of Junior. But as Vickers followed his teammate, he tapped the back bumper of Johnson, sending him into Junior. As the two cars slid out of control into the infield, Vickers stayed in the gas and led the field back around to the checkered flag for his first win (watch video).

Vickers was apologetic when he reached Victory Lane.

"I got into Jimmie and I hate it," Vickers said. "The last thing I wanted to do was wreck either one of those guys, but what happened, happened. It wasn't intentional.

"It's definitely mixed emotions for me, being my first win, but also what happened with Jimmie because he is my friend and also a teammate, as well."

Johnson, who wound up 24th, was understandably livid.

"I just can't believe it. Here we go all day long, I had a great chance to make up some points, and I end up getting wrecked by a teammate," he said. "Knowing the situation we're all in, I would hope that someone would be a little more patient than they were back there.

"I know he was trying to get his first win, but he was in a position to finish second or third the way that was, and he gave me one hell of a push from behind and pushed me into [Earnhardt] and off we went."

Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, understood that Vickers was trying to help when things went wrong.

"I honestly don't think Brian was trying to wreck us, I think he was trying to help us," Knaus said. "I just don't think he has the talent to understand what he has underneath him."

And Junior, who finished one position better than Johnson, took things somewhat in stride, even if his loyal fan base was more interested with showering the winner with boos and beer cans.

"Brian was just excited there," he said. "I'm not really that upset. I mean, that's just the way racing goes here and sometimes you come out on the good end of those deals and sometimes you don't."

Both Johnson and Earnhardt rebounded the next weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway with top-five finishes, but their fortunes went in opposite directions from that point forward. While Johnson would go on to record five consecutive finishes of first or second and win the championship, Junior's title hopes took a huge hit with a finish of 22nd at Martinsville. He wound up fifth in the final standings.

As for Vickers, he's still searching for win No. 2. He suffered through a season of growing pains with Toyota's Red Bull operation in 2007. This season, he has three top-fives, including finishing a distant second to Kahne at Pocono, but nothing comes close to that one day in early October when he found himself in the middle of a controversial last-lap finish at Talladega.